We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was so excited to learn I was approved to read Alison Gaylins new novel! Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers. This book was different than what I've read in the past but its not to say I didn't enjoy it. Alison Gaylin did a great job and creating an atmosphere of suspense and paranoia. The story is of a family trying to protect themselves from a conspiracy group out for blood.


Those who love cults and conspiracy theories will eat this one up. So, so good!

Are you into conspiracy theories?
On what should have been one of the happiest days for this family, quickly turns tragic.
Meg and Justin are driving their daughter Lily to college when their car goes off the road, killing Justin. A horrible accident, right? Dig a little deeper. Maybe there was something much darker behind Justin’s death.

Meg slowly recovers both physically and emotionally, enough to reopen her bookstore months later. But things don’t go as smooth as she thought it would. Specifically, people spewing hatred toward her on social media and vandalizing her bookstore Who’s behind this campaign? And why?

There’s conspiracy theories…then there’s THIS! Taken to the extreme. A storyline delving deep into both conspiracies and hatred. I have to admit I was left feeling a bit unsettled by the end. If that was the author’s intention…it worked!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow

This novel tells the tragic story of Magnolia, who is grappling with the loss of her husband. As the story unfolds, it takes numerous unexpected twists and turns, evolving into a completely different type of book than I initially anticipated.

While I generally enjoyed the book, there were moments when I found the plot a bit hard to follow. The multiple perspectives offered by various characters added depth to the narrative, although some of the twists were somewhat predictable. Overall, it was an engaging read, but the complex storyline required careful attention to keep up with the shifts and changes.

This one was a bit out there for me. We Are Watching takes conspiracies and obsessive groups into the spotlight in this thriller about a cult following of a book written by Meg Russo. The groups fanaticism escalades into violence and death, and Meg is caught in the middle of it all. Fast paced and different, I think that is what makes Alison Gaylin a unique author to the genre. Her ideas are not the same troupe and pushes a reader to question whether or not this type of fringe behavior is really happening out there?

I received a free copy of, We Are Watching, by Alison Gaylin, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Meg Russo lost her husband Justin, in a car accident, Meg was driving. Meg and her daughter Lily survived. This book was a little off putting and disturbing to me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This one was...strange. There was just a lot of nuance and some of the writing really didn't make sense to me? I liked the premise of some crazy foreshadowing outlined in a book that the main character was selling at her store but somehow the rest of the plot did not really tie into that in a way that was reasonable or even enjoyable - then she turned out to be the author of the book? I was just mostly confused with everything and unfortunately, the cult theme didn't quite land with me. I do like most of Gaylin's work but sadly, this was a miss for me.

This book was absolutely wild and I have never read anything like it before!

After surviving a car crash that kills her husband, Meg and her daughter, Lily, are struggling to move on. They start to feel attacked like everyone may be out to get them.

This is a book for those that love conspiracy theories and signs and cults. It was a dark, stressful read that kept me turning the pages! Not like any thriller I’ve read before so it was refreshing to read something different!

3.5⭐️ - I enjoyed it and would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for my ARC.

Conspiracy nonsense in my opinion. I just find it ridiculous but these people do exist and the author did a good job at showing how deep and dark these people can get. While it’s not for me and I found most of it predictable it did make for an easy read.

A family becomes a target of violent conspiracy theorists and have to work together to fight them and protect themselves.

A very fast paced and fun read, I recommend this one. It is definitely a unique story and while a little out there, it’s entertaining and page turning. I loved the entire conspiracy theory and how it showed how easily people get hooked onto an idea through the internet. It gets very exciting at the end and while there was closure, there was still enough left open for a potential sequel.

We Are Watching comes out 1/28.

The setting and creepy vibes are everything. I could feel Meg’s paranoia. However, this book got a little too weird for me and I was not able to finish it.

The intense feeling of fear that slides down your spine when you feel like you are being watched. It is how I felt the entire time I was reading this book. My fight of flight response was on high alert. Sending my anxiety into overdrive. As I was drawn into the characters world. This saying found scattered throughout, "We Are Watching. We Are Armed. We Will Triumph." What in the heck does that mean? Who are we, why are they watching, and what will they be triumphant in?

Meg and Justin are in their heads thinking about saying goodbye to their daughter, Lily, as they drive toward her college. When the unthinkable happens and there is an accident. Justin is traumatically killed. Meg's father keeps telling her none of these things are an accident. That the wolves are always watching them. Meg thinks her father is imagining things. He was the lead singer in the band, The Prism. There have always been rumblings and rumors that Meg's family participated in satanic rituals. Could any of this be linked to the day Justin was killed?

This is one I do not want to say much about. The book hooked me from the first page, and I could not put it down. I was ripping through it like a 70's guitar solo. The vibes of the book are intense and creepy. I already know I will feel their eyes upon me for days. Who are they you ask? You need to read to find out. Thank you to Alison Gaylin and William Morrow for my gifted copy of this culty read.

I became a Alison Gaylin fan after reading "the collective". This was very different than that book and from most thriller in general. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the supernatural/cult aspect. The first 1/3 was kind of hard to get thru but then it became more interesting. I cant say that i loved this one but I give Gaylin props for doing something different.

Very different psychological thriller involving the danger of taking conspiracy theories to an extreme. It was a bit far-fetched and at first, I wasn’t sure that I liked it, but it grew on me. Plenty of twists and turns. Wasn’t happy with the uncertain ending as to the trustworthiness of one of the characters supposedly loyal to the family being tormented. How she could have infiltrated this family and been a part of their lives for years, with evil intentions, is hard to believe. Of course, she also may be innocent but if not, it is hard to accept her getting away with it. Fast-paced novel and kudos to the unique plot line.

I have loved all of Alison Gaylin's books so when I got a chance to read her latest one, I jumped on the opportunity. This novel did not disappoint ! The plot was very unique and kept my interest the whole way through to the end. This was very fast paced and kept you on the edge of your seat wondering how it would end. I definitely recommend giving this one a read if you enjoy suspense/thrillers.

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

This made my skin crawl, gave me nightmares and I’m still recovering. The paranoia is REAL. This was an incredible wild ride, and I read it at the perfect time for spooky season. There were twists I could not see coming, and I had so much anxiety but in such a fun way! Absolutely so much fun to read.

Alison Gaylin ratchets up the paranoia with this fast-paced "what if." Meg and her husband are taking their daughter Lily to college when a carload of skinheads causes them to run off the road.
A few months later, Meg and Lily are picking up the pieces at their small town bookstore, ready for the Christmas rush.
Since the accident, things begin to get weirder at the bookstore. Strange customers shout doomsday warnings. The children's section seems to have a hidden nuance. When a bloody finger is discovered atop a pile of desecrated books, Meg knows her family's past is quickly catching up.
Everyone is watching them. Meg's father, a member of a controversial rock band from the 80's, knows why.
A fantasy novel written by a young girl seals the ever growing cult that threatens to take Meg and her family off the best seller list.
Fast, suspenseful and packed with surprises, Gaylin's We Are Watching grips you by the throat with a deadly warning: trust no one!

I am not quite sure what I read here 😅 We are Watching is certainly an original and twisted thriller, there is nothing like it out there,

It begins with a car crash, the Russo family are taking their only daughter off to college when their car is run off the road and Meg loses control. Her husband Justin doesn’t make it. This is just the start of the troubles. Their small town is suddenly the target of strangers who seem to be out to get Meg and her daughter Lily.

This really a book that is hard to talk about without spoilers. There is a lot happening here and it is wild and dark. You won’t be able to tear your eyes away but at the same time wondering what on earth is going on. Very surprising.

Thanks to William Morrow on NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on January 28th.

Great family drama, with a little horror thrown in. Fast paced thriller that kept me interested from oage one!

Overall this was a good book. Personally, it started off slow and then it did pick up. Solid plot with believable characters are always a must for the story to be believable. I think this hit the mark. This is my review and my opinion. I always like to encourage readers to read for themselves and not solely based on others opinion’s.
Thank you to the Publisher & NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this.

In the beginning of the book, I tried to figure out where this story was going. Conspiracy theory was the most obvious guess. At first I thought they had just hit a patch of bad luck, despite the father blathering on about how the world was out to get him and his family and that "they" were always watching.

But soon it becomes clear that what he's saying is not so farfetched. The more the family learns about its own history the more convinced they become that the world is indeed watching them. Photos of them appear on the dark web, along with posts from those who are watching.

The story grips the reader immediately and holds tight until the very last page. The story is a bit out there, but then you realize that it's not any crazier than ideas people float on the internet about other people all the time.